I would want the closest 1 for 1 trade i could get. I want the best possible player in return. If the player is close enough just a high draft pick to make up the lost ground. But if i give up a Letang i better get a damn good roster player (who fits our cap situation)

Letang for Yakopov just off the top of my head for starters. have Edm. throw in a high pick for good measure.

Stevens25 wrote:IF, and man I hate to see it happen, we lose Letang, they better find someone who can carry the puck in on the PP. Letang really is the only one who does it at a consistently high rate.

Stevens25 wrote:IF, and man I hate to see it happen, we lose Letang, they better find someone who can carry the puck in on the PP. Letang really is the only one who does it at a consistently high rate.

... then he immediately turns it over once we establish the zone.

Letang is not good on the power play, you are correct. And he will be paid like someone who is, which poses a problem. But he and Karlsson are the best passing and skating defensemen in the NHL, and that element will need to be replaced either from within the organization or via free agency.

Letang is very frustrating to watch in terms of his play in the offensive zone. He's never become a goal scorer, and constantly misses the net, even when he takes his time and has a clear shooting lane. He also is somewhat injury prone. Trading him right now would be nuts, because they need him badly. But if the defensive prospects coming up are for real, RS has to know that the return on a trade for 58 would be tempting when the time comes. First round picks and roster players would likely be coming back.

But let's watch them get the Cup this season and worry about that later.

I kind of rolled my eyes at this thread originally but it may make a lot of sense for the Pens to trade Letang this summer. I think my preference would still be that they lock him up because he's a rare talent, but if they can't reach an agreement I don't think a trade would be a bad alternative. I'd imagine the price for Letang is similar to that for Staal - a first round pick, a young cheaper roster player, and an additional prospect. In one move, they could pretty much recoup what they traded away at the deadline, plus clear enough space to be able to keep most of the UFA forwards.

I think the D could move forward without him. They've got Martin playing at a high level right now and he's signed for two more years. Despres will be ready for a bigger role next year. Still have Orpik and Niskanen next year. Engelland and Bortuzzo are under control and could hold down the last pairing adequately for the regular season. Dumoulin, Harrington, and Samuelsson in the AHL, Pouliet and Maata further down the pipeline. Plus if you follow the Staal recipe they could get the D equivalent of Sutter to replace Letang on the roster.

Would love to keep him, but his inability to ever nail down the PP QB role and proneness to injury would make me pause a bit if he's asking for really big money.

Has anyone ever heard Letang say he wants "bank"? The only article read stated that he wants to win and that the pens are a team where that will happen with Geno and Sid. I feel like mtl is making up rumors